The Final Meeting
by ZeeLizard
Summary: Salazar is leaving the castle. Everyone wants him gone. But he wants to see them, possibly the only two that care, one last time.


The castle practically echoed with the voluminous silence that haunted the corridors. The students slept in their dorms soundly, blissfully unaware of any "goings on" about the castle. They were more than likely thinking their House Founders had all retired to their own chamber as they did every night. Maybe Helga was up reading one of the many books that filled her seemingly endless library, or maybe Godric was pretending to fight dragons in his study, but surely they were all in their respective houses.

Wrong.

Salazar slipped from his house in the dungeon, wound up the many flights of stairs, through the many corridors, and slipped past shadowy doorways before arriving at the entry chamber to Rowena's quarters.

Ellinor, the chambermaid, was unable to respond to his brisk knock; he instead threw the door wide open, crossing the room in his large strides before the startled squib had anytime to utter out a single protest.

"Sir," she tried, reaching out to grab the puffy sleeve of his evening shirt, "I beg you, my lady is sleeping."

Her fingers barely brushed the soft fabric before Salazar, fed up with the deterrents, whirled around and slapped the young girl across her face. The stinging sensation webbed across her face and heat rose to her already swelling cheek. The eyes of the Slytherin Founder grew darker with impatience and fury. It was the last glance the frightened girl got of the gentleman before he left the school, never to return.

But what would he want to do with the Lady of Ravenclaw?

Rowena was startled awake by the door to her chamber being thrust open, colliding with the marble and brick wall behind it. Her hands instantly pulled the coverlet up to her chin, not knowing who the perpetrator was. Her eyes could not adjust to the darkness quick enough to discover it was Salazar before he closed the doors, gently this time.

Now they were alone together in her chamber, like so many other instances. But, unlike the other instances, she knew they wouldn't be a bittersweet moment easily repressed in her memories. It could be bitter, it could be sweet, but this would be a moment not easily forgotten.

But why tonight? Why now? Why here? There were so many why's it would make your brain spin.

She finally made out the distinct shape of the man at the side of her chaise, the familiar dark hair, the messy curls, the grey eyes, the crooked nose, the constant frown.

"Salazar?" he breath escaped her lips in a surprised puff - uttering the name of the man who'd haunted her dreams for so many long years. "What are you doing here?"

"You know well what I am doing here. You've known for years it would come to this, that I would stand here, just as I do, and you would lay there, just as you do. We'd banter, we'd laugh. One of us might even shed a tear or two. You can't pretend this wasn't going to happen." He took a deep breath, closing his eyes and exhaling slowly through his nose as if to calm himself during his meditation. For a power-hungry sorcerer, he was unnaturally obsessed with his inner balance and inner peace. Not that he was any good at controlling them, per say.

"What are you speaking of?" Rowena rose from her bedstead, allowing the cover to fall and reveal her sapphire nightgown.

"You know very well," Salazar said, his voice rising slightly. "You've known this would happen for a long time." His voice was softer this time, more relaxed.

It finally dawned on Rowena what he was saying. The cloudy haze of sleep was dispersing from her mind and the realization hit her a beat too late. He said it anyways.

"I'm leaving."

"But why?" Her voice was a shrill shriek as her body lurched forward. She was unable to control herself as she fell to her knees, hair falling from the bun on top of her head to frame her face - the face that had suddenly gone pale. "Why must you abandon us?"

"You are probably the only ones who don't want me gone. Godric, Helga, the students besides those of my house...well maybe even they, would rejoice my departure with a feast and a day off lessons. Even the teachers, those whom I've hired, would celebrate to see my chambers empty and my person missing."

"Then why have you come here?" Rowena knew the answer without needing to ask, yet ask she did. Maybe she would take solace in the fact that he asked, or maybe it would be of some comfort to know he cared, but she wanted to hear the words spoken aloud.

"May I hold her...my daughter?"

Who could deny him that?


End file.
